III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 265 

Supporting a democratic, pluralistic, and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina 

and its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 22, 2023 

Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself and Mr. RICKETTS) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting a democratic, pluralistic, and prosperous Bosnia 

and Herzegovina and its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. 

Whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina has historically been a pluralistic society influenced by and composed of a diverse 

set of religions, cultures, and ethnicities; 

Whereas, on March 3, 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence, and on April 7, 1992, the United 

States recognized Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent state; 

Whereas more than 100,000 people died and 2,000,000 more 

were displaced in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 

and 1995; 

Whereas the United States, alongside the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization (NATO), played a crucial role in 


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ending the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and brokering 

the General Framework Agreement for Bosnia and 

Herzegovina (also known as the ‘‘Dayton Agreement’’ 

and the ‘‘Dayton Accords’’) in November 1995; 

Whereas the Dayton Accords ended the war, affirmed the territorial integrity and political independence of Bosnia and 

Herzegovina, established the Federation of Bosnia and 

Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, as subordinate units 

of government below the state, installed the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR) as an international interim 

peacekeeping force, and created the Office of the High 

Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (OHR) to 

oversee civilian implementation of the accords; 

Whereas, since the Dayton Accords were signed, the Government and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina have made 

important strides toward re-building a peaceful society 

based on democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and 

a free-market economy; 

Whereas, in 2004, the United Nations Security Council 

adopted United Nations Security Council Resolution 

1575 authorizing a multinational stabilization force led 

by the European Union (EUFOR) as the legal successor 

to SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina; 

Whereas, in 2008, the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board set out the requirements that need to be met 

prior to the closure of the OHR in the 5+2 Agenda; 

Whereas, since 2009 and the case of Sejdic ́-Finci, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has issued judgments concerning ethnic- and territory-based discrimination in the elections of Bosnia and Herzegovina and reVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:02 Jun 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR265.IS SR265

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quiring reforms amendments to the Dayton Agreement, 

which have yet to be implemented; 

Whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina was invited to join a 

NATO Membership Action Plan in 2010, and Bosnia and 

Herzegovina submitted its first Reform Program to 

NATO in 2019; 

Whereas the United Nations Security Council unanimously 

adopted resolution 2658 on November 2, 2022, formally 

reauthorizing the multinational stabilization force known 

as EUFOR-Althea for a period of 1 year to help implement defense and military aspects of the Dayton Agreement; 

Whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina formally applied for European Union membership on February 15, 2016; 

Whereas, on May 29, 2019, the European Union adopted a 

roadmap to membership for Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

outlining needed reforms in the areas of democracy, the 

rule of law, fundamental rights, and public administration; 

Whereas the European Union unanimously granted candidacy 

status to Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 15, 

2022, calling upon Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue 

its efforts to implement democratic reforms and confirming that the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina lies 

with the European Union; 

Whereas some politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 

other countries in the region continue to make statements downplaying or denying the 1995 Srebrenica genocide; 

Whereas Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, has 

hampered reconciliation efforts through genocide denial, 


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engaged in destabilizing security maneuvers and threatened to withdraw Republika Srpska from state-level institutions, including the judiciary, the security services, the 

Indirect Tax Authority, and the armed forces of Bosnia 

and Herzegovina; 

Whereas, on December 10, 2021, the parliament of Republika 

Srpska— 

(1) voted in favor of denying the constitutional and 

legitimate authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina in numerous areas, including indirect taxation, justice, and security and defense; and 

(2) falsely claimed entity-level competencies were illegally transferred to Bosnia and Herzegovina; 

Whereas the United States has imposed sanctions on Milorad 

Dodik pursuant to Executive Order 13304 (68 Fed. Reg. 

32313; relating to the Termination of Emergencies With 

Respect to Yugoslavia and Modification of Executive 

Order 13219 of June 26, 2001) and Executive Order 

14033 (86 Fed. Reg. 31079; relating to Blocking Property and Suspending Entry Into the United States of 

Certain Persons Contributing to the Destabilizing Situation in the Western Balkans) for obstructing the Dayton 

Accords and corruption; 

Whereas, on January 9, 2022, Milorad Dodik presided over 

commemorations of an unconstitutional holiday, 

Republika Srpska Day, which coincided with the day 

Bosnian Serbs declared their own state and ignited four 

years of war and bloodshed; 

Whereas Milorad Dodik has threatened the secession of 

Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which 

contravenes the Dayton Accords and jeopardizes the 

peace and security of the entire Western Balkans region; 


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Whereas, on January 8, 2023, Milorad Dodik awarded a 

medal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid the 

unprovoked war on Ukraine by the Russian Federation, 

for strengthening relations between Republika Srpska 

and the Russian Federation; 

Whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina conducted a general election on October 2, 2022, which resulted in the election 

of Zˇeljko Komsˇic ́, Denis Becˇirovic ́, and Zˇeljka Cvijanovic ́

to the tripartite presidency; 

Whereas, on January 31, 2023, all members of the tripartite 

presidency visited Washington, DC, for the first time in 

18 years and participated in meetings with officials of the 

Department of State and a bipartisan meeting with Senators; 

Whereas, in 2020, the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina 

contracted by an estimated 4.3 percent, and the youth 

unemployment rate rose to 33.6 percent, disrupting a 

five-year trend of decline in part due to the rampant corruption that remains unaddressed; and 

Whereas at least 400,000 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina 

have emigrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina over the 

past 8 years: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) congratulates Bosnia and Herzegovina on 

3 the 31st anniversary of its declaration of independ4 ence; 

5 (2) reaffirms strong and longstanding bipar6 tisan support for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 

7 territorial integrity, sovereignty, and multiethnic 


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1 character of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and continues 

2 to believe that peace and stability in Bosnia and 

3 Herzegovina is integral to the peace and stability of 

4 Europe as a whole; 

5 (3) calls on all parties to uphold the spirit of 

6 unity enshrined in the General Framework Agree7 ment for Bosnia and Herzegovina (also known as 

8 the ‘‘Dayton Agreement’’ and the ‘‘Dayton Ac9 cords’’) and to enact electoral and targeted state10 level constitutional reforms prior to the 2024 general 

11 election in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and calls for the 

12 urgent adoption of a package of election integrity 

13 measures to address widespread concern among vot14 ers about the sanctity of elections in Bosnia and 

15 Herzegovina and to address the fraud and abuse 

16 that characterized the 2022 elections; 

17 (4) calls on the members of the Presidency of 

18 Bosnia and Herzegovina to recognize their critical 

19 role in preserving stability, to embrace compromise 

20 and consensus building within the decision-making 

21 process of their institutions, and to work together in 

22 the best interests of their constituents as part of a 

23 sovereign and independent Bosnia and Herzegovina 

24 within its internationally recognized borders; 


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1 (5) encourages the Government of Bosnia and 

2 Herzegovina to continue pursuing membership in the 

3 North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Euro4 pean Union and urges the European Union to in5 crease its efforts, cooperation, and assistance to 

6 swiftly advance the accession process; 

7 (6) calls on the members of the Presidency of 

8 Bosnia and Herzegovina to prioritize efforts to com9 bat political corruption, democratic backsliding, un10 employment, and brain drain in Bosnia and 

11 Herzegovina, in particular, by focusing on youth en12 gagement; 

13 (7) commends the continued efforts of the Of14 fice of the High Representative (OHR) to advance 

15 reforms, reaffirms the authority of the OHR as ar16 ticulated in the Dayton Accords, and calls on mem17 bers of the Peace and Implementation Council to 

18 provide their full support to the OHR and advance19 ment of the 5+2 Agenda; 

20 (8) calls on the members of the Presidency of 

21 Bosnia and Herzegovina to develop an inclusive and 

22 comprehensive strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

23 in coordination with Bosnian and Herzegovinian civil 

24 society and the European Union, and to increase en25 gagement with minority groups in an effort to hear 


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1 from a diverse cross-section of citizens in Bosnia 

2 and Herzegovina, inclusive of all ethnic, political, or 

3 religious affiliations; 

4 (9) encourages the United Nations and its 

5 member states to continue the annual reauthoriza6 tion of the EUFOR-Althea stabilization force and to 

7 review the current levels of the force in the face of 

8 challenges to the integrity of Bosnia and 

9 Herzegovina; 

10 (10) encourages the United States to consider 

11 additional steps to support security and stabilization 

12 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to support EUFOR; 

13 (11) calls on the United States— 

14 (A) to work in close cooperation with rel15 evant institutions to discuss contingency plans 

16 if the annual reauthorization of the EUFOR-Al17 thea stabilization force is put in jeopardy; and 

18 (B) to take steps to deter malign actors, 

19 both inside and outside of Bosnia and 

20 Herzegovina, from threatening the territorial 

21 integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 

22 (12) condemns individuals who are actively 

23 seeking to undermine the security, stability, and ter24 ritorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 

25 urges the President and European allies of the 


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1 United States to hold such individuals accountable 

2 for their actions, including through the use of sanc3 tions where appropriate; 

4 (13) condemns the inflammatory rhetoric of 

5 politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina and others in 

6 the region who deny the severity or perpetration of 

7 war crimes and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina; 

8 (14) condemns politicians in Bosnian and 

9 Herzegovina and the region who— 

10 (A) persist in rampant corruption for per11 sonal enrichment at the cost of the prosperity 

12 of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 

13 (B) prevent Bosnia and Herzegovina from 

14 adopting the reforms necessary to secure mem15 bership in the European Union and the North 

16 Atlantic Treaty Organization; and 

17 (C) threaten the territorial integrity of 

18 Bosnia and Herzegovina, undermine the state 

19 and institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

20 and block functional, efficient, and accountable 

21 government at all levels; 

22 (15) acknowledges the decision of the European 

23 Union to grant candidacy status to Bosnia and 

24 Herzegovina, and encourages the Government of 

25 Bosnia and Herzegovina to take advantage of such 


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1 candidacy status to accelerate the reforms required 

2 to meet its goals for membership in the European 

3 Union; 

4 (16) supports the use of Executive Order 13304 

5 (68 Fed. Reg. 32313; relating to the Termination of 

6 Emergencies With Respect to Yugoslavia and Modi7 fication of Executive Order 13219 of June 26, 2001) 

8 and Executive Order 14033 (86 Fed. Reg. 31079; 

9 relating to Blocking Property and Suspending Entry 

10 Into the United States of Certain Persons Contrib11 uting to the Destabilizing Situation in the Western 

12 Balkans) to hold individuals accountable for high13 level corruption and actions that obstruct the Day14 ton Accords; and 

15 (17) emphasizes that the United States Govern16 ment will continue to support— 

17 (A) the territorial integrity, sovereignty, 

18 and multiethnic character of Bosnia and 

19 Herzegovina; and 

20 (B) the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina 

21 in their goal to build a democratic, pluralistic, 

22 prosperous, and peaceful State. 

Æ 


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